The announcement came as a shock to members of the university, as well as higher education leaders throughout the country, who quickly began dissecting the deal and questioning what it meant for Purdue's brand and public education in general.

In faculty circles, concerns bubbled about a lack of transparency from leaders in the decision and whether the 2,500 professors from Kaplan University who will transfer to the new university will share the same shared governance and academic freedom rights as those who teach in the state's public institutions.

The Indiana Conference of American Association of University Professors on Tuesday evening released a statement that said it "objects strenuously" to the deal for a handful of reasons, including that faculty input wasn't sought beforehand, an assessment wasn't done on the impact on the academic quality of Purdue, and "non-profit institutions serve the public good; for-profit private institutions serve corporate interests. The two should not mix."

"We have to stand against this on principle," said Miriam Pittenger, president of Indiana's AAUP chapter and professor of classical studies at Hanover College, a private liberal arts school.

"This is not what public higher education is about," added David Nalbone, vice president of the chapter and psychology professor at Purdue Northwest. "This is about making money and it does so by cheapening a Purdue degree."

Another statement opposing the deal was penned by faculty members from Indiana public universities and so far has garnered about 100 signatories, a large portion of whom are from Indiana University's Bloomington campus. The letter states similar concerns as the AAUP statement and also criticizes the financial gains Graham Holdings Company, Kaplan's parent company, can earn with the deal.

The company will receive reimbursement for its operation services and up to 12.5 percent of the new university's revenue, if certain conditions are met. Additionally, if the new university achieves cost savings in its operating costs, then it may be entitled to a payment equal to 20 percent of the savings, according to terms of the deal.

The statement also brought up concern with past allegations against Kaplan University.

Attorneys general in Illinois, Delaware and North Carolina have launched either inquiries or investigations into the institution in recent years. In 2015, Kaplan paid a $1.3 million settlement under a civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly hiring unqualified instructors. That same year it reached a settlement with Massachusetts on claims that it used harassing sales tactics and misleading representations about its programs and employment in its recruitment materials.

Purdue does not have a response to the statements, a university spokesman said.

Their contempt only grew after the Journal & Courier reported Tuesday that the new university won't technically be a public institution, as the trustees and Purdue President Mitch Daniels had said, but rather will operate as a public benefit corporation that is exempt from state open door laws, access to public records laws and accounting for public funds codes.

"This creation of a highly unregulated entity that will not be open to open access and public review is a very frightening development for higher education," said Bill Mullen, a Purdue professor of English and American studies and member of Purdue's AAUP chapter.

"Many of the Purdue faculty who signed (the statement) wrote me personal notes to thank me and say they're so upset they haven’t been consulted," he said. "I think it tells you the faculty do feel quite aggrieved by this and are looking for a vehicle to express that."

Purdue's University Senate is holding a special session on Thursday to discuss details of the deal with Daniels, which Mullen is hoping will result in a formal rejection of the plan by faculty.